June 23rd. It’s afternoon and we are coming to the border of Bulgaria. We are amazed of how many trucks are standing on the roadside and are waiting to get across the border. Fortunately, the car line is not that bad. We have about 6 cars in front of us and we are making rapid progress. Passport, ID, and vehicle ID are controlled, a little look into the car, greeting the children and we are through. On the streets of Bulgaria, we come across a sign that show us how and who pays for the use of the streets, but we have a hard time to understand it. So, we stop at a gas station, go to the kiosk and there is a machine where I can have the vignette printed out, yes!
On the way to our accommodation, we rush into a decathlon, T. and I need new sandals.
At 19:30 we drive up to our apartment where we sleep tonight. It is a area with a couples buildings with a total of 600 apartments in the middle of a corn field (surrounded with a fence and car barrier). In short, we move into a one-bedroom apartment with everything we need (including washing machine). We cook something simple and go to bed soon.
On the way to our accommodation, we rush into a decathlon, T. and I need new sandals.
At 19:30 we drive up to our apartment where we sleep tonight. It is a area with a couples buildings with a total of 600 apartments in the middle of a corn field (surrounded with a fence and car barrier). In short, we move into a one-bedroom apartment with everything we need (including washing machine). We cook something simple and go to bed soon.
June 24th. We get up at 8:30 and eat breakfast. At 11:29 we take the train to Sofia. The journey takes 49 minutes. In Sofia we take the tram to get to our hosts, which takes us another 45 minutes. When we arrived, we greet each other, and T. & C. give the gifts we bought to the little ones. We put down the luggage for the overnight stay and go explore Sofia a bit.
June 25th. After a Bulgarian breakfast called Principessa, we get our pack packs and go towards the city centre. We take part in a free city tour. The young man tells the history of the city in a funny and comprehensive way.
At 14:29 we take the train back to Pobit Kamak, where our car is parked. The man at the gate doesn't want to let us in. Unfortunately, he doesn't speak English and I don't speak Bulgarian. So, I show him a note with the phone number of our host. After a short conversation on the phone, the matter is settled. The weather is somewhat better than the day before and the kids go for a swim in the pool.
At 14:29 we take the train back to Pobit Kamak, where our car is parked. The man at the gate doesn't want to let us in. Unfortunately, he doesn't speak English and I don't speak Bulgarian. So, I show him a note with the phone number of our host. After a short conversation on the phone, the matter is settled. The weather is somewhat better than the day before and the kids go for a swim in the pool.
June 26th. Today we continue our journey. On the way we visit Plovdiv and the monument of freedom, Stoletov peak, before we arrive at our next couch surfers in the late afternoon. They have a charming house with a big garden. The son gives us his room and he stays on the couch.
On June 27, the host take us around to their neighbouring town, where we have our breakfast. Veliko Tavorno has about 70,000 inhabitants and seems like Biel to us. An old town with a lot of great pubs and coffee shops (it just feels good).
June 28th. It is Sunday and we all sleep in, eat breakfast together, lie, sit, run around in the garden and just enjoy the day.
Monday June 29th, the day of our onward journey. In the short term we have booked an apartment in Varna on the Black Sea. On the way we stop at the Ovech Fortress and the Stone Forest.
The apartment is great has everything we need, and we can do our laundry.
The apartment is great has everything we need, and we can do our laundry.
June 30th. In the afternoon we take the bus to go into town, look at Varna and find a barber for Pablo. The children go for a swim in the sea, but somehow, they find that the water smells (not as clear and beautiful as in Crete 😉).
July 1. We enjoy the chilled apartment doing what everybody feels like and just enjoy the day.
July 2nd. Today, we pack everything again and drive on. We visit the Black Sea in Shabla again before we cross the border into Romania. See you!
July 2nd. Today, we pack everything again and drive on. We visit the Black Sea in Shabla again before we cross the border into Romania. See you!
